ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL. Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. on Friday (Feb. 7, 2020) says the provincial government has hired eight personnel to man the ports in Dumangas and Estancia towns. The eight have been tasked to collect health declaration cards from passengers of roll-on/roll-off vessels. (PNA photo by Gail Momblan)
ILOILO CITY -- Iloilo’s provincial government has hired eight additional personnel to guard the ports to beef up the screening of passengers who are potential carriers of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Some six personnel will be deployed to the Dumangas port while the other two will be assigned at the Estancia port where roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels operate, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said Friday.
Defensor said the eight personnel will be tasked to man the RoRo stations and facilitate the collection of health declaration cards from passengers of the vessels.
The blue-colored health declaration card was activated by the provincial government to keep track of passengers’ travel history and health conditions, among others.
“When they arrive at our RoRo ports, our personnel, along with the personnel of the municipality of Estancia or Dumangas will collect (health declaration cards). They will examine (the health declaration card accomplished by passengers) and they will relay to the province if there are passengers (who) need to be monitored,” he said.
The health declaration card also shows personal information and the address of the passengers.
“We are doing everything to reduce the risks (of the spread of the virus),” Defensor added.
The governor, through an Executive Order issued last January 23, directed the inspection, clearing, checking of foreign vessels, including the crew, for the 2019-nCoV in their second or subsequent port of entry in Iloilo province by the Bureau of Quarantine.
The inspection and accomplishment of health declaration cards are also being carried out in international and domestic flights at the Iloilo International Airport.
Along with guarding the ports of entry, Iloilo province has also been preparing its Dr. Ricardo Y. Ladrido Memorial Hospital in Lambunao town as an identified hospital to handle cases under investigation for the 2019-nCoV.
The hospital is capable of isolating a person with a history of travel to China and exposure to a positive case, manifest signs and symptoms of fever of more than 38 degrees and a history of cough and colds within the last 14 days after the last travel or exposure. (PNA)
